Blood on the Moon
by Erin Salvatore
Summary: AU. Caroline Forbes was 12 years old when she came home to find her mother murdered. 12 years later, as a homicide detective in New Orleans, she decides to reopen the case. She then meets the mysterious Klaus Mikaelson, who tells her that there is more to her mother's murder than she originally thought.
1. Chapter 1

**Blood on the Moon**

**by Erin Salvatore**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: I got the idea for this Klaroline AU story while in the shower (don't ask). Caroline was 12 years old when she came home and found her mother murdered. 12 years later, as a homicide detective, she decides to reopen the case and meets the mysterious Klaus Mikaelson, who tells her that there is more to her mother's murder than she originally thought.**_

_**Like I said, don't ask, I was compelled to do this while showering.**_

**Chapter 1**

_Forbes Family Home, Mystic Falls, Virginia, 2001_

**C**aroline Forbes couldn't wait to get off the bus that day, mostly because she was excited. Excited that she just got nominated for the 7th Grade Class President at Mystic Falls Middle School. She had been nervous going in, especially since she didn't know if anyone would nominate her. Then, during the lunch period, she heard the announcement about the nominees and she was one of the candidates for Class President.

She had spent the remainder of the day mentally planning her campaign, because if she was going to win this thing, she was going to do it the way she had seen politicians do it on TV, despite the fact said politicians were adults and not twelve-year-olds. She was even planning on how to tell her mother that she had been nominated and asking her to help her get her campaign posters and everything ready for the weeks ahead, since she wanted to outdo her opponents and win the race.

However, when the bus reached her house, her excitement died, replaced by a sense of dread. That's weird, she didn't feel like this when she left this morning, why would she be feeling like this? Something was definitely not right. It was like something out of a horror movie or a crime drama, only much worse.

Ignoring her pounding heart, Caroline walked up the steps of the front porch and saw that the door had literally been ripped off its hinges. She slowly opened the door and walked into the house, seeing a mess all around the place, as if someone had forced their way and wrecked everything her family held precious.

"Mom?"

No answer. That's weird, why wasn't Liz answering her daughter's call? She told her this morning that she was taking the day off and that she'd be home, so why was it that Caroline was being met with silence.

"Mom? Are you home?"

Again, no answer. Okay, this was seriously scaring her. Caroline then saw something that scared her even worse than the fact her mother wasn't answering her. She saw Liz sprawled out on the kitchen floor, in a pool of her own blood. Carefully, Caroline went over to her and knelt down, gasping when she saw what looked like puncture wounds on her neck. Scared out of her mind and not caring that she had blood on her hands, she dialed 911, looking at her mother's lifeless body. Who could do this to her? True, there was the risk of danger because she was a sheriff, but which of the people she put away would puncture her neck like that and make her bleed out so mercilessly?

"911, what's your emergency?"

The operator's voice on the other end startled her out of her reverie and Caroline tried to hold back her tears as she said, "Yeah, this is Caroline Forbes, and I need an ambulance."

"Are you hurt, sweetheart?"

"No, it's my mom," said Caroline. "I came home from school just now and found her on the floor in the kitchen. She's bleeding and I...I think she's dead. She's got these nasty marks on her neck."

"All right, we'll send an ambulance to your house right away," said the operator. "Just stay on the phone and help will be there shortly."

_Several Minutes Later..._

Caroline was still in shock when the ambulance arrived and barely said a word as she watched the paramedics take her mother's body out of the house. It was hard to believe that in less than a day, her young life was forever changed. She had no idea that when she left the house this morning, it would be the last time she would see her mother alive. She was still confused about who would be so cruel as to kill an innocent sheriff whose only crime was trying to protect the town from those who wished to do the citizens harm.

In that moment, all of her plans for her campaign seemed trivial, because who could possibly think about that when one's mother was so cruelly taken from her?

Among the questions she was asked was who she could contact. The only person she could think of off the top of her head was Lillian Forbes, her grandmother in Atlanta. So, without a bit of hesitation, that was who she told them to call. She could've told them to call her father, Bill, but because she was still in a bit of a haze, she chose Lillian instead.

Once the decision was made, Caroline was allowed to pack some clothes and toys before she was escorted out of the house by one of her mother's colleagues. As she walked toward the awaiting squad car, she made a secret vow that she'd find the one – or ones – responsible for killing her mother, even though she didn't know exactly how she'd do it. The only thing she did know was that she couldn't let this crime go unpunished.

_**Note: Thus begins my new AU. I know things sound bad now, but they will improve. I will introduce Klaus in the next chapter, and there will be romance. Stay tuned!**_

_**Reviews are love!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Blood on the Moon," 12-year-old Caroline returns home to find her mother dead.**_

_**Wow, I got three reviews on the first chapter alone, AWESOME! Just for that, I'm going to post the next chapter, since I've got it mapped out. No spoilers, just read to find out what I've got planned.**_

_New Orleans, Louisiana – 12 Years Later..._

**R**ain fell all around outside her window as Caroline looked through files on her kitchen table. She was now a homicide detective on the New Orleans Police, and she had seen her share of crime scenes that were every bit as gruesome as the scene she had come home to in Mystic Falls twelve years earlier. In fact, just recently, they had come across a young victim in the Quarter, a woman in her late teens, possibly early twenties, who had died in the same manner that Liz Forbes had, puncture wounds on her neck and drained of blood, even though she was surrounded by a pool of it. Caroline hated to think that this was a coincidence that the young victim she and her fellow officers found was killed by the bastard responsible for her mother's death.

Coincidence or not, it struck a familiar chord with her and made her decide to reopen her mother's case, despite the fact that Mystic Falls was out of her jurisdiction and the case was stone cold. However, Caroline wasn't one to give up, which was why she was looking through the files she had gotten from one of her mother's old colleagues.

As she was doing her research, Caroline was startled by a strange noise coming from outside. Scowling, she decided to do what any detective would do in these circumstances: investigate where the noise was coming from and who or what was making it. Grabbing her flashlight and gun, as well as throwing on a raincoat and boots, Caroline went outside to see what the commotion was about. She searched just about every inch of the area by her building and just when she was about ready to give up, she heard the sound again and saw the shadowy figure of a man, who then took off after she flashed her flashlight at him.

"Hey, come back here!" she called after him. "I'm not finished with you!"

Then, not about to let him get away from her, Caroline took off, armed with her gun. She didn't know who this guy was, but if he thought he could scare her and not get caught, he had another guess coming to him. During the chase, Caroline saw the bastard was fast. However, she had some speed in her as well, having learned quite a bit in the academy about chasing down a suspect.

After what seemed like forever, she caught up with him in Jackson Square. Panting, she said, "All right, turn around so that I can see you and put your hands in the air!"

The man did as he was told and turned around, facing her. "Put down your weapon, love, I mean you no harm. Matter of fact, I'm here to help you."

"A likely story," said Caroline. "You're just saying that so I'll drop my guard."

The man put one of his hands into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, which contained a badge and photo ID. "Does this look like I'm joking? I'm a detective, just like you. I heard about the murder of that girl in the Quarter and I wanted to assist in it."

Caroline scowled at the badge and saw that it looked authentic, dropping her gun immediately, even though she was still skeptical about this guy, having never seen him before. "Mind telling me who you are and why the hell you made me leave my apartment on a night like this?"

"Of course, love. I'm Klaus Mikaelson."

As he continued to speak, Caroline heard a pleasant accent in his voice – British, if she was guessing correctly – and it made her think that he was probably from Scotland Yard, even though she would've been informed if they were sending someone from there to New Orleans to help in their investigation. However, that didn't mean that she couldn't use him to help him with the case she had decided to reopen.

"Well, Klaus, I'm Caroline Forbes," she said. "So, how did you hear about the murder we're investigating?"

Klaus smiled. "Lovely to meet you, Caroline. Now, as far as how I heard about the murder, I had just arrived here in New Orleans and I saw the crowd of witnesses gathered along the sidewalk behind barriers that were set up by the police. I asked what was going on and a woman told me that it was because the body of a young woman had been found on the street and that the police were trying to keep the scene from being contaminated."

"I see," said Caroline. "Well, I suppose we could use your help." She shivered. "Shit, it's cold. Did you want to come in with me so that we can discuss this further? It'll be better than standing out here in the cold."

Klaus didn't answer her at first, thinking that she knew what he was and that being invited in was the only way he could gain access to her home. But, her invitation was out of politeness, so he couldn't turn her down, because a gentleman never refused an invitation from a lady. Nodding, he said, "I'd love to."

Caroline nodded as well and they walked back to her building together. As they walked, Caroline felt his hand close around hers and looked at him. She really hadn't expected that, but she accepted it anyway, knowing that he was probably doing it to be a gentleman.

_Later..._

When they arrived at her apartment, Caroline took a good look at Klaus. He was definitely a handsome man. His hair, though damp from being out in the rain, was slightly curly, and it made him look like one of those angels she saw painted on church walls. His eyes were a beautiful shade of greenish blue, and his body looked like it was ideal for hours of hot, steamy, passionate, primal sex, and his lips were ripe for kissing and nibbling. In addition to that, the trench coat he wore reminded her of the one David Tennant wore during his stint as the Tenth Doctor on _Doctor Who_. Perhaps he was a fan of the show, since he was British? No, she wouldn't dare stereotype a man she just met, because it would be rude and Grandma Lily didn't raise a bigot.

She was about to say something when Klaus noticed the mess on her kitchen table. "I see you brought your work home with you."

Caroline blushed a bit, having left the table so unkempt like that. "I was just going through the case files from my mom's murder. It's remained unsolved for the past twelve years and when I saw the girl had been killed in the same manner that she was, it prompted me to reopen the case, see if I can't solve it and bring the killer to justice."

Klaus nodded in response, still looking at the case files. He could definitely see why Caroline was determined to defeat the demons from her past, since her mother bore the same puncture wounds on her neck as the young victim from earlier. This couldn't be who he thought it was, could it? And if it was, how long until Caroline became his next victim?

"Caroline, you're going to need backup on this," he said. "What if you become the next victim?"

"You make it sound like I can't handle myself."

"No, I'm not doubting your ability to take care of yourself, far from it," said Klaus. "All I'm saying is that I know who did this. I've been tracking him for years and I can protect you."

"You know who did this?" said Caroline. "Well, don't keep me in suspense, Klaus, tell me, who is this guy? More importantly, why does he drain his victims of their blood? It's the one thing that we can't quite figure out. Hell, _I _don't even know why my mom was killed in that fashion."

Klaus listened to her questions and hestitated with his answer. He couldn't tell her that he was a vampire, well, a vampire/werewolf hybrid, born of a forbidden union between his mother and werewolf, and the one who killed her mother and the girl in the Quarter was also a vampire, a vampire that he knew all too well: his brother, Kol. No, he couldn't force that on the poor woman, not when she wasn't ready to know.

"Let's just say that he's not someone you should turn your back on," he said finally. "He kills without remorse and his victims don't know he's there until it's too late."

Caroline nodded and to his relief, she didn't press the issue. He took the opportunity to really look at her. She was very beautiful, with long, golden blonde hair that framed her face to make her appear angelic, eyes that rivaled the blue summer sky, a body that he could imagine himself caressing as he made slow, tender love to her, and lips he longed to kiss and nibble.

_I can't let Kol get to her,_ he thought. _I've seen his handiwork over the years and he's merciless. If Caroline were to fall into his clutches...no, Niklaus, don't think like that. This is why you're here, to protect her. She's so beautiful, strong, and full of light. Kol is likely to extinguish that light if she were to become his next victim._

After a brief silence, Caroline said, "All right, Klaus, I accept your assistance in this case and my mom's case. Since you have knowledge about the one who was responsible for it, I can use all the help I can get."

Klaus nodded. "You won't regret this, Caroline, I promise you."

_**Note: Here you go, the next chapter of my AU. Our leads have met and as I mentioned before, they will fall in love eventually, I'm pacing myself. Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Blood on the Moon," Caroline decides to reopen her mother's case after discovering the body of a woman who was murdered in the same fashion, and meets a mysterious man named Klaus Mikaelson.**_

_**Thank you for the reviews! I apologize in advance for the lack of updates. Real life has been hectic, making it hard to get inspired. However, I just got inspired and thought I'd update. No spoilers, just read on to find out what happens.**_

_Caroline's Apartment – Several Hours Later..._

**T**he rain ceased as quickly as it had begun, and Klaus took that as his cue to leave. However, he saw Caroline slumped over the table, her head resting on top of her arms, which were on top of a pile of papers she had been reading. She must've fallen asleep before the rain stopped. Not about to leave her like that, Klaus picked her up in his arms and carried her to her bedroom, where he pulled back the covers on her bed, laid her down gently, and covered her up. However, as he was about to walk out, he felt his hand being grabbed, looking down to see Caroline smiling at him.

"Klaus?"

Returning her smile, he placed his index finger on her lips, shushing her. "Shhh. It's all right, love. Go back to sleep."

Caroline nodded. "Okay. Are you leaving?"

"Yes, it's late and I don't want to overstay my welcome," said Klaus. "I'll see you tomorrow." He silenced any further protest by kissing her lips softly, pulling back a few minutes later when she had finally fallen asleep again. "Sweet dreams, Caroline."

With that being said, Klaus left the room, shutting off the light and closing the door behind him so that she could get some rest. He then exited the apartment and then the building. Once he was out on the street, he checked his phone for any messages he may have gotten while he was still at Caroline's. While looking, he saw that he had a message from his brother, Elijah. The time signature read 10:30, which was half an hour ago. Shit, and he didn't even hear the phone ring.

Wondering if it wasn't too late to call him back, Klaus dialed his brother's number and after several rings, heard Elijah's voice on the other end. "Hello?"

"Elijah, I didn't hear my phone ring," he replied. "I stumbled upon Kol's most recent kill and I was investigating."

"Niklaus, you don't have to apologize," said Elijah. "Though, I would like to know if you've gotten any leads yet."

"No, but I wouldn't be surprised if we do manage to get one before long," said Klaus. "Listen, I'll explain more when I get to the mansion. Don't worry, I'll be sure to cover my eyes if I happen to accidentally walk in on you and Amelia."

Amelia Spencer was a witch that Elijah had been dating for the past year and a half. She was quite powerful, and the brothers often had her use her magic to aid them in their cases. Then, before Elijah could say anything else, Klaus hung up and continued his trek to the Garden District.

_Elijah's Mansion, Garden District – Shortly After the Call..._

Upon arriving at his brother's stately mansion in the middle of the Garden District, Klaus used the key under the mat to open the door and let himself in. No sooner did he walk in than his senses alerted him to another presence in the house, causing a smirk to appear on his face. He also spotted what looked like a hot pink see-through blouse that been discarded on the loveseat in the parlor. Klaus didn't have to guess whose it was, because he already knew: Amelia was here, and hot pink was a personal favorite color of hers.

No sooner did he find the blouse than he saw Elijah and Amelia coming downstairs, dressed only in housecoats, indicating that they had been having some fun in Elijah's bedroom. Maintaining his smirk, Klaus eyed Amelia up and down.

"Might I say, Amelia, you look exceptionally lovely tonight."

Amelia rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up, Niklaus, I have no patience for you or your bullshit right now."

"Pay him no mind, my love," said Elijah. "My brother can be a bit hard to tolerate at times." Deciding to change the subject before things went nowhere, he added, "Now, Niklaus, you were saying on the phone that you found Kol's latest victim?"

"Yes, I did," said Klaus. "It was a young woman in her early twenties, drained of blood despite being found in a pool of it. Matter of fact, I met with the detective who is investigating the murder, one Caroline Forbes."

"And does Detective Forbes know what you are?"

Klaus shook his head. "No, she doesn't, and I'm hoping to keep it that way until I feel it's right to tell her. She doesn't even know that Kol is the killer. The only thing I told her was that he's not the sort of man that you turn away from."

Amelia nodded. "It would seem to me that she might be an ally for us." She looked at Klaus. "I trust that you'll be personally protecting Detective Forbes, is that correct?"

"Of course," said Klaus. "I'll be damned if I let Kol get his hands on her." Quickly, he added, "While I was at her apartment this evening, I noticed that she had a box on her kitchen table, that was filled with files from a case that has been cold for the past twelve years."

"Oh?" said Elijah. "And what case was that?"

"Her mother's murder," said Klaus. "Judging from the photos taken at the scene, Caroline's mother was murdered in the same fashion that the poor girl from last night was. Kol's style, no doubt. Though, why he'd murder an innocent sheriff in a small Virginia town is beyond my comprehension."

"I guess it was no surprise that her daughter decided to pursue a career in the same field that her mother was before her untimely death," said Elijah. "Though, that would prove dangerous for her, especially as far as Kol is concerned."

"Nevertheless, Elijah," said Klaus. "I intend to protect her. We both know how dangerous our dear baby brother can be, and I'm not about to take any chances whatsoever of Caroline getting hurt or worse."

"We're not doubting that you will," said Amelia. "Though, it couldn't hurt to have a little back-up in case you need it. I've volunteered my services to you in the past, and I'm more than willing to provide it again at a moment's notice. Just say the word and I'll give that bastard a witchy migraine the likes of which he's never felt."

_**Note: Better late than never, huh? I even included a little tender Klaroline moment at the beginning of the chapter, though it won't be the last. Stay tuned for more!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Blood on the Moon," Klaus tugs Caroline into bed and heads to Elijah's mansion in the Garden District, where he gives Elijah and his witch girlfriend, Amelia, the heads up on his mission, as well as his plan to protect Caroline from Kol.**_

_**Thank you for the great reviews! I apologize for the lack of updates, but real life and other writings got in the way. I'm here now, so I'll post this next chapter. No spoilers, except the action takes place two days later.**_

_New Orleans Police Department – 2 Days Later..._

**C**aroline stepped out of her car and walked toward the entrance of the precinct house. She was thinking about the case, both the one they were currently investigating and her mother's, as well as her encounter with the mysterious Klaus Mikaelson. She didn't really understand his purpose here, even though she had agreed to let him help with the investigation. She also couldn't get his accent out of her head, no matter how many times she tried to drown it out.

"We have got to stop meeting like this. People are going to talk."

Speaking of the devil, Caroline heard that familiar, rich British accent and looked over to see Klaus leaning against one of the cars in the parking lot. How the hell did he know where she worked? Deciding not to worry about it for the time being, Caroline raised a curious eyebrow at him.

"You're not funny, Klaus." She sighed. "So, what are you doing here?"

Klaus chuckled. "Well, I thought that since we're going to be working this case together, I should meet you here."

Caroline then remembered the conversation that they had the night before, and she knew that she couldn't go back on an agreement. "All right, I guess I can't argue there. Come on, let's get started then." She walked toward the door, Klaus following behind her. "And don't do anything to piss off my boss. His attitude depends on the day."

Klaus nodded, taking that into consideration. He had dealt with that sort of thing, but he wasn't about to tell Caroline that, thinking that it would scare her before their partnership could even begin. They were met with Captain Galen Vaughn, Caroline's boss. Judging from the energy he was detecting off of the man, he didn't appear to be in a bad mood. In fact, he seemed to be in a rather good mood, which was probably either a good thing or a bad.

"Ah, Forbes, just the person I wanted to see," he said. "The ME just sent us the autopsy report."

Caroline nodded, knowing that he was referring to the young woman that was found dead in the middle of the Quarter. "What did she confirm?"

"Our victim was in fact stabbed," her boss replied. "Though, the blood draining is a bit of a mystery. One does not simply have no blood, despite being surrounded by a pool of it. Also, we found out that victim's name was Amanda Quartermaine, a student at LSU. She was twenty-two years old, blonde hair, blue eyes, and was studying to be an anthroplogist."

"Have her parents been notified?" Klaus detected a hint of fear in Caroline's voice when she asked that question. Apparently, she had been through this sort of thing before.

"Just called them an hour ago," said Galen. "Up until now, they had no idea that their daughter was missing, or even dead for that matter."

Klaus took the opportunity to speak. "With all due respect, Captain, why would the girl's family not know that their daughter was missing or dead? Surely, they had to have some inkling to her whereabouts, like a text message or even an email."

Galen gave Klaus a rather stern look. "Excuse me, but who the hell are you?"

"Captain, this is Klaus Mikaelson," said Caroline. "He's here to help us investigate the murder. Klaus, meet Galen Vaughn, my boss."

"Okay, that does explain why he's here," said Galen. "The thing I don't get is, why the sudden interest in the case, especially when this is out of his jurisdiction? Amanda Quartermaine was killed here in _New Orleans_, not _London_. I fail to see why Scotland Yard would get involved in something like this."

Klaus could feel his patience slipping and would've attacked the bastard right then and there if it weren't for the fact that Caroline was watching him, as were the rest of the New Orleans Police. He forced himself to keep his temper in check for the time being.

"Where I'm from doesn't matter," he said. "What does matter is finding out who killed that poor girl." He cleared his throat. "Now, I believe I asked you why Amanda Quartermain's family had no inkling to their daughter's whereabouts until they were just informed of her death."

"Hell if I know," said Galen. "Perhaps Amanda was the kind of girl that liked to keep secrets from her parents, her whereabouts being one of them."

Caroline listened to their exchange, waiting until they were done before interjecting. "Though, it could be possible that Amanda was suicidal and didn't want them to know. She didn't resort to the usual method of suicide, like slitting her wrists, or hanging herself. No, she probably wandered out into the Quarter and that's when she meets our perp, who then assists her with her suicide."

_Holy shit,_ she thought. _If Amanda was suicidal, what does that say about my mom?_

Klaus noticed that Caroline looked puzzled about something and, excusing himself from Galen, he gently took her arm and led her toward an open interrogation room, closing the door behind them once they entered. The emotions that he was reading from her were all over the place and he was concerned about her.

"Caroline? What is it, love? What are you thinking?"

"I...I don't know," she replied. "For some reason, I'm beginning to think that maybe reopening my mom's murder case after all these years was a mistake."

"Is it because of Amanda?"

"Yeah," said Caroline. "I mean, what I said out there just now scared me. I mean, what if my mom was suicidal and I never knew about it?" 

Klaus hesitated. Did he dare tell her the truth? She seemed to be awfully troubled by the whole thing. He then took her hand and led her out of the interrogation room, to the service elevator, which took them to the roof of the building. When they got there, Caroline, confused by his actions, yanked her hand out of his grasp.

"Klaus, what the hell are we doing up here?"

With a shaky sigh, Klaus decided to spill it. "Before I tell you, I need to know one thing."

Caroline raised an eyebrow. "Okay, and what is that?"

"I need to know that by the time I finish telling you, you still trust me."

"Of course I'll still trust you," said Caroline, even though she still didn't know what he was going on about. "Just tell me."

"There's something you should know about me," said Klaus. "I'm not like most men. In fact, I haven't been like most men for centuries." He saw the look on her face and decided to skip the intro and go right into the meat of the speech. "I'm a vampire, Caroline. No, I'm both a vampire and a werewolf, born of an affair that my bitch of a mother had with a werewolf. The reason I'm telling you this is because the one who killed your mother twelve years ago and Amanda is a vampire, and not just any vampire, a vampire named Kol, who just so happens to be my brother."

Caroline felt her jaw go slack as he explained himself. So, he was actually a vampire? No, wait scratch a combination of both a vampire and a werewolf? While it wasn't surprising, considering how the people in New Orleans practically worship the supernatural, it floored her to know that her mother's death and Amanda's death were connected, even if they were twelve years apart.

"Let me see if I've got this straight," she said. "You're both a vampire and a werewolf and you're telling me that your brother, Kol, who's just a vampire, was the one who killed both my mother and Amanda?"

Klaus nodded. "It's true."

"So, what does this all mean exactly?"

"I don't know," said Klaus. "I can tell you that there is more to this than you think. What that could mean I'm not entirely certain." He approached her and gently grabbed her arms with his hands. "But know this, Caroline, I will do whatever it takes to make sure that Kol doesn't come after you next. You have my word that no harm will come to you, not while I'm around."

Caroline didn't know what to say to this. While the information he gave her was a bit startling, she just promised that she'd still trust him and she had to trust him with her life.

"Should I tell Galen about this?"

Klaus shook his head. "No, he wouldn't understand."

"Okay," said Caroline. "But, he's going to get suspicious. You don't keep secrets from Galen Vaughn, not for very long. Sooner or later, he's going to want to know what we're up to."

"If he gets suspicious, I'll deal with him," said Klaus. "For now, we'll just tell him that we have a hunch as to who our killer might be and hope he buys it for the time being."

Caroline nodded. "Okay, but there's something else I need to know."

"What's that?"

"Do you have any more siblings other than Kol?"

"I do, actually," said Klaus. "My other siblings include Finn, Elijah, and Henrik. I also have a sister named Rebekah. I had another brother, but he died young."

Caroline nodded again. "Wow, that's quite a family. I'd like to meet them."

"Well, Elijah is here in New Orleans, so I think I can arrange for you to meet him," said Klaus. "He's also a vampire, but don't worry, he's not vicious, like Kol obviously is. He's actually quite tame and only uses violence in self-defense."

_**Note: Better late than never, huh? I thought that I'd have Klaus tell Caroline the truth about everything. I was also tempted to have them kiss here, but it's too soon. Don't worry, though, I plan on having them kiss eventually, just not right now. :) Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Blood on the Moon," Klaus tells Caroline the truth about who he is.**_

_**Thank you for the reviews, guys! I got the idea for this chapter the other day and I wanted to post it. No spoilers, you'll have to wait to see what I've got cooked up for you.**_

_Caroline's Apartment – That Evening..._

**T**he memory of what Klaus told her on the roof of the precinct house was still fresh in her mind as Caroline returned home. She wanted to put it all behind her, even though part of her trusted Klaus with her life. She also believed that he'd help her solve her mother's murder once and for all, even if he had to sacrifice himself in the process. Still, there were so many questions that had yet to be answered, which was partially why she had asked him to come by her apartment after the meeting with Captain Vaughn. She hated to lie to her boss, but there were things a person just didn't tell another, whether it be a family member or even a colleague at one's job.

When Caroline reached the door to her apartment, she saw that she had a visitor, a familiar visitor. "Jessica?"

Jessica Millicent Forbes, the girl that her Bill and his partner-husband, Stephen, adopted from Japan, smiled at her elder stepsister. Jessica was twelve years old and a violin prodigy, with ambitions toward Julliard and even Shenandoah Conservatory. "Hey, Caroline. Did I come at a bad time?"

"Well, you did startle me," the blonde replied. "When did you get here?"

"A little while ago," said Jessica. "Daddy and Stephen told me that I could fly to New Orleans by myself. They got me an unaccompanied minor ticket." She saw that Caroline was about to launch into lecture mode and added, "And don't start the whole Stranger Danger thing, okay? I'm not in kindergarten, you know."

"I know you're not," said Caroline. "But, you're my sister and I care about you." She sighed. "Would you like to come in? We could talk for a little bit until my...partner comes over."

"Partner?" said Jessica. "You have a partner? That's not what you keep telling me in your emails. You keep telling me that you work solo on your cases."

"I'm making it an exception with this one," said Caroline. "He's very insightful about the nature of the case I'm working on and therefore, I'm willing to let him help me."

Jessica wanted to press her for more information, but Caroline had already used her key to open the door and escorted the girl into the apartment. She had to admit, she liked seeing her sister, even if she thought it was a bit inconvenient at the moment, but didn't express it out loud.

As the two sisters entered the apartment, Jessica took a look around and smiled. The place looked neater than it was the last time she had been here, which had been three years ago, just before Caroline had decided to reopen her mother's case. She then went toward the spare bedroom, where she placed her luggage on the bed, as well as her violin case. No sooner did she disappear than Caroline was startled by a knock at the door. She checked the peep hole and when she saw that it was Klaus, she immediately opened the door, smiling at him.

"That was quick," she said. "I wasn't expecting you until later."

Klaus smiled at her. "I thought I'd come by early. I called Elijah and told him that I'd very much like for you to meet him, and he agreed to it, since he's just as concerned about you as I am." He detected another presence as he walked into the apartment. "Do you have company besides me, love?"

Caroline was about to answer him when Jessica came in, armed with her violin. "Caroline, I wanted to play the new piece that I just..." She trailed off when she saw Klaus standing there. "Hi."

Klaus gave the girl a friendly smile. "Hello there, love. Who might you be?"

"Jessica."

"Jessica. A beautiful name for a beautiful little girl," said Klaus. "How do you and Caroline know each other?"

"We're sisters," said Jessica. "Well, actually, I was adopted by her dad and his partner-husband from Japan as a baby, but that doesn't stop us from being sisters." She smiled. "Since we're making with the introductions, who are you?"

"I'm Klaus Mikaelson. I'm assisting your sister in her investigation." He noticed the violin in her hand. "Ah, the violin, such a remarkable instrument. Do you play?"

"She's a prodigy," said Caroline, answering the question for Jessica. "She's been playing since she was five, and has ambitions to go to either Julliard or Shenandoah Conservatory." She looked at her sister. "Jessica, why don't you play the new piece you learned for Klaus? I'm sure he'd love to hear it."

Jessica looked at Caroline, then at Klaus, and then back at Caroline. "Okay, I suppose I could give both of you a listen, since I was originally going to play for you anyway."

Taking a deep breath, she sat down on one of the kitchen chairs and, after she had gotten into position, she placed the bow firmly on the strings and began to play the piece she had learned, which was "Meditation," from the opera _Thais_ by Massenet. The melody of the piece seemed to flow through the room, reaching Klaus' advanced hearing. He closed his eyes and let the music overtake him. Little did the two girls know that he had gone to the 1894 performance of the opera in Paris. The spectacular portrayal of the title character by Sybill Sanderson was positively breathtaking and he even had the pleasure of meeting the lovely soprano at a dinner after.

Once Jessica finished playing, Klaus opened his eyes and applauded her. "Jessica, love, you are sensational. Julliard and Shenandoah Conservatory would be _foolish_ not to let you in."

Jessica smiled. "Thanks, Klaus. I learned that piece weeks ago and I couldn't wait until I saw Caroline again so that I could play it for her."

Klaus nodded. It was great that Caroline's sister was visiting, since the two seemed to be close and they had a special bond with each other that transcended beyond the fact that they were different from each other culturally. However, with Kol lurking around the Quarter, he couldn't help but worry that he might use Jessica to lure Caroline into a trap.

Caroline noticed Klaus' facial expressions had changed and looked at him curiously. "Klaus, what is it?"

"I can't discuss it with your sister in the room."

Caroline didn't quite understand, but without looking at Jessica, she said, "Jessica, could you excuse us for a few minutes? Klaus and I need to discuss the case and we can't really talk about it around you."

Jessica nodded and, taking her violin with her, left the pair to discuss the matter in private. Once the girl was gone, Caroline then decided to try again with her previous question. "What is it, Klaus? You got all worried."

"It might not be safe for your sister to stay here," he replied. "Kol might find out about her and use her as bait to lure you into his clutches."

Caroline nodded. "I realize that you're concerned about her safety, and believe me, I'm just as concerned. But, what do you want me to tell her? 'Hey, sis, I'm glad to see you and everything, but unfortunately, you can't stay here because I'm conducting a murder investigation in which a vampire is the prime suspect'?"

However, Caroline instantly regretted what she just said, because Jessica had heard the tail end of the conversation and had a scared look on her face. Before she could explain herself, Jessica fled into her room, shutting the door behind her.

"Shit! Shit, shit, shit, I really blew it now!" She looked at Klaus. "What am I going to do?"

"There is a way to rectify this."

Caroline shook her head. "No, there isn't. Jessica has been scared out of her mind because she caught the tail end of what we were talking about. Daddy and Stephen will no doubt hear about this and they'll probably never trust me with her again."

Klaus didn't back down and took her hand. "Come with me. I want to show you something."

Caroline raised an eyebrow. "What are you going to do?"

"You'll see," he replied. "Just come with me."

Caroline didn't get to protest because Klaus tugged her hand and they went to closed door to the guest room where Jessica was staying. Once there, he knocked gently. "Jessica, love, it's Klaus. May I come in?"

He received no verbal reply, but the door opened and Klaus entered, followed by Caroline. Jessica was definitely afraid, he could tell from the way her heart was rapidly beating. Was she not informed about this at any time during her young life? Were the men who adopted her afraid that she would never find out? It didn't matter, because he was going to rectify what happened earlier.

It was quiet for a while until Jessica said, "Are there really vampires here?"

Klaus nodded. "Yes, love, there are."

"I thought they were just in books and movies."

"Oh, they are real, Jessica," said Klaus. "But, you don't have to be afraid of me. I am here to protect you and your sister from a bad vampire that is going around hurting people." He let go of Caroline's hand and got closer to Jessica. "Jessica, I want you to look at me. I won't hurt you, I promise."

Jessica nodded and looked at him. Once he had her complete attention, Klaus placed his hands firmly on her face and said, "Sleep, and when you awake in the morning, you will remember nothing of this night, except that you met me and that you played your violin for us."

Once he finished speaking, he saw that Jessica fell forward and caught her, scooping her up into his arms and carried her over to the bed, laying her down, covering her with a blanket before kissing her forehead. Afterward, he carefully put the violin case over by her suit case and took Caroline's hand, leading her out of the room.

It was quiet for a while until Caroline broke the silence. "What the hell was that?"

"A little vampire trick called compulsion," said Klaus. "It's a bit like hypnosis, only a bit more complicated. A vampire can use it on a human to make him or her do whatever he or she wants them to do, such as only remembering certain things and forgetting others. Jessica will remember nothing that happened before, only that she met me and that she treated us to a private performance with her violin."

Caroline nodded. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, love," said Klaus. "I assure you that I only use compulsion when it is absolutely necessary, such as now with your sister." He pulled her close to him. "Kol will never get his hands on either of you, I swear it."

Before Caroline could respond, he captured her lips with his in a deep and passionate kiss. Caroline returned it, moaning against his mouth as their tongues collided. To be honest, she wasn't expecting this, but it felt good. She couldn't remember the last time she had been kissed like this. Of course, it didn't really matter, since being kissed by Klaus was heavenly.

After a few minutes, he stepped back, reluctantly breaking the kiss and looking into Caroline's blue eyes with his greenish blue ones, gently running his thumb across her bottom lip. He was tempted to take this further, but told himself not to rush into things. Perhaps they would go beyond kissing, but now.

Before he could say anything, Caroline said, "That was...unexpected, but at the same time, it was amazing."

Klaus smiled. "To be honest, I've been wanting to do that since the night we met." He saw that she was about to speak again. "No, love, don't speak, just let what we did sink in."

_**Note: Yeah, this chapter was a doozy to write, but here it is. I even put in a Klaroline kiss for you. I was tempted to take it further, but stopped myself. Don't worry, though, they will take it further, just not now. Until then, enjoy what is here and stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


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